I thought this was cute...

Most of the comments I hear from people when we talk about homeschooling involve socialization. It seems everyone knows 'someone' who is or was homeschooled and they are social misfits and don't fit in etc. People hold onto this one person as the shining example of the result of homeschooling. Have you ever met a public/private schooled person who would fit that same description of social misfit who doesn't fit it. I've met many more of them than the homeschooling kind.

Truth of it is that socialization and outreach to the community needs to be a priority of the homeschooling parent and its not as hard as you think it is...

As a homeschooling parent you need to be prepared for the critisism and understand that the majority of it comes from ignorance. Don't let anyone else's ignorance dictate how you choose to raise your kids - stand tall and stand up for your kids :)

2 years later...

... and it still bothers me when Arianna does cool stuff at daycare and I'm not there to see it.

I'm very grateful for the home based daycare that Arianna goes to. Its wonderful and Arianna has really blossomed since attending. It's really amazing what being around other kids can do for ones development!

Today she's going strawberry picking for the first time. When I heard this all I could picture were the really cool photos I could take and fun scrapbooking layouts I could make. Only I'm not going to be there to take the pictures because I'm working. Its great that she gets to go but I'm so sad I can't be there.

2 years of someone else watching her grow and experience new things - 2 years of someone else broadening her horizons and exposing her to great news things...

I can't wait for the fall to come...

Dodged a bullet!

We picked up Arianna's new glasses today and I think we're going to have a hard time getting them off her face - a good problem to have. She loves everything about her new glasses, including the funky pink case that comes with them. She even took them off and put them on correctly afterwards - which amazed me. Boy did we dodge a bullet with this one - I think she'll do just fine with them!

Waiting patiently with Dad for her new glasses (but she has the case so she's happy!)

Trying them on for the first time - no tears or even blinking!

Doesn't she look totally adorable?!

She is definitely seeing things differently now - she was walking more cautiously and on the drive to daycare she was pointing out everything in the car that she's never noticed before. I think she'll do great and it was a great move for her!

It was inevitable

Yesterday Arianna had her 2 year appointment with the ophthalmologist and her vision is still 4.5+ in both eyes. She can't see very far away and when she tries her eyes cross, severely. So it's time...

Her doctor told me that girls handle glasses better (personally I loved my glasses as a little kid) and after about 3 days its no longer a struggle to get them to wear them because they'll see so much better! I hope this is true for Arianna also.

I have some research to do to see which glasses would work best for her. I'd love some words of wisdom from any parents who have helped a toddler adjust to glasses. My parents were spoiled when I was young and my Dad's vision plan included unlimited glasses - with me making the transition to 'stay at home' mom this fall we won't have ANY extra money and I need to make sure we don't go through glasses like water!

Any advice is surely appreciated! I bet she'll look totally adorable in them!

Special preemie

I wanted to take a moment to tell everyone about Landon, an preemie that I 'met' on the internet shortly after Arianna was born. He was born at 30 weeks and had a very rough road - as it turned out he had a rare mitochondrial disorder that is incurable.

His family lives in Missouri and is trying to move to Houston to be closer to the only doctors that have been able to help him. Please check out his website and consider making a donation to help their move. His mom is an amazingly strong woman that I can only hope to emulate.